The Thirteenth Year (1999) Movie Script

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Oh!
That's one big fish.
Whoo-hoo!
That's got to be over 100 pounds.
Here, fishy, fishy, fishy. Yes!
There you are. It is my lucky day!
You can run, but you can't hide.
No! No, where did you go?
Where are you?
Oh, I know you're out there. Come on!
Wait a minute.
So you want to play hide and seek, huh?
Oh, so you want to run now?
You know, if I didn't know better,
I'd swear this fish was half human.
Oh, I got you now.
You are one beautiful...
mermaid?
Mermaid?
Hey! It's a mermaid!
Oh! This is incredible.
Wait till people hear about this!
Oh! I'm gonna be famous!
It's a mermaid! Hey! A mermaid! Hey!
You're beautiful!
Hey! A mermaid! Hey!
What was that?
It was.
It was a mermaid.
- Hey.
- Hi.
Okay, remind me why we came here again.
To start a new life,
free from the constraints
of a bourgeois, capitalistic existence.
See, I thought it was
to start a tour boat company.
Yeah, well, you're got your reasons,
and I've got mine.
There it is again.
That noise.
- What noise?
- Listen, listen.
Oh, honey,
that's just the sound of a baby crying.
A baby?
Whoa!
- Honey, oh, my gosh.
- Oh!
It's a... It's a...
It's definitely a baby.
Yeah.
Where did you come from?
This is so weird. How'd he get here?
I have no idea. Can we keep him?
Honey, this isn't a dollar bill
you just found laying on the sidewalk.
This is a living, breathing, little baby.
Oh.
No. Absolutely no. Come on. Let's go.
We could call him Cody.
It's my favorite name.
Okay. Cody it is.
- Cody, let's go.
- I got it!
- Cody, hurry up.
- I'm coming.
- Cody!
- What do you need, Dad?
Listen, go up top, and when I holler,
fire this baby up, all right?
- You got it.
- Good, good.
Ladies and gentlemen,
may I have your attention?
Just one moment, young man.
This is really unacceptable!
For five dollars, I expect much more.
We should have been underway
20 minutes ago.
You know, the last boat tour I was on,
we had snacks.
Do you have snacks?
Yes!
Whew! All right, Cody, fire it up!
Whoa!
Oh, man.
It's all right. It's all right, folks.
All I need is a hammer,
a fire extinguisher, a little duct tape.
It's fine.
Just part of being in the tour business.
Hi, honey. How are ya?
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Mahone Bay
Regional Swim Meet.
- Charge!
- Hey, anybody seen Cody?
I haven't seen him, Coach.
Maybe he got tired of coming in second.
All right, hey, hey, Marlins, focus.
Remember, if we win this one,
we advance to the state finals.
No Marlins team has
ever advanced that far.
You could be the first ones.
I need 100-- 200% out of
each and every one of you.
...the Mahone Bay Marlins.
All right, "Marlins win" on three.
- One, two, three.
- Marlins win! Huh!
Sorry. We're stuck. That engine's cooked.
If I miss this race, I'm cooked.
Well, I'm sure if you run,
you could catch the ferry.
Great idea. See you guys later.
Okay. Kick some butt, kid.
We're gonna try and get there.
Pace yourself!
Women's 50-meter breaststroke.
Have you seen Cody?
Okay, swimmers, take your marks.
Wait.
Wait! Hey, Pete!
Cody, sorry! Take the next one!
Good job.
Good race, Sam. Nice race. Congratulations.
All right, let's go!
Men's 100-meter freestyle's next.
Win this one, okay?
Wish me luck, Sam.
Good luck, Sean.
Oh, have you seen Cody?
I mean, he's gonna miss his race.
Whoever wins this one
will take their team to the state finals.
This is the race that decides which team
will move onto the state finals.
Swimming in the men's 100-meter freestyle
in lane one, Scott Middleton.
In lane two, Rudy Pollard.
And in lane three,
the current record holder, Sean Marshall!
Gentlemen,
this is the 100-meter freestyle.
Timers, reset your watches.
And, swimmers, take your marks.
Wait! Hang on!
- Cody!
- Oh, for crying out loud.
Ready to give me a myocardial infarction.
Slow down. Get your head together.
Hurry up!
Swimmers, relax.
It looks like lane four
won't be empty after all!
Here comes Cody Griffin
of the Mahone Bay Marlins,
just making it under the wire.
This obviously makes things
even more exciting.
Cody Griffin and his fellow Marlin,
Sean Marshall,
have had quite a rivalry all year long!
They'll be swimming side-by-side
in their quest for the gold.
- What?
- Your shoes! Your shoes, son!
That'll help. Thank you.
Once again, swimmers, take your marks.
And they're off.
What an explosive start from
the Mahone Bay captain, Sean Marshall.
He's in the lead,
followed closely by his teammate,
and archrival, Cody Griffin.
At the first turn, it's Sean Marshall
by a quarter of a length.
Sean is setting a blistering pace.
And the swimmer that can keep up with him
is Cody Griffin!
At the second turn,
it's Sean Marshall by a quarter length
over Cody Griffin.
Sean looks unstoppable!
What's this? Cody Griffin has turned
on the gas! He's closing the gap!
This could be a race after all!
At the third turn, it's Sean in the lead!
Cody is gaining speed, though.
They're almost neck and neck now!
Can Cody pull off...
Come on, Sean! Bring it home!
Sean Marshall! This one's gonna be close!
Go, Sean!
And Sean Marshall wins
by an arm's length!
-Cody Griffin is second...
- One-two finish!
...and Rudy Pollard is third!
We're going to state!
- Almost thought I had you, man.
- In your dreams, Griffin.
Gold. Silver.
That's the way it's always gonna be.
But, hey, nice race anyway.
...going to the state finals!
Congratulations, Marlins!
Here you go, Marlins.
This is yours. You earned it.
And you know what this means?
This means
we're going to the state finals.
Oh, yeah!
This is, and I mean this,
the happiest day
of my entire coaching life.
I'm proud of you, team.
All right, go home and get some rest,
because tomorrow the real work starts.
Whoa!
Oh!
Somebody get that kid out of my pool.
Help! Help!
- Help!
- Cody to the rescue.
I can't swim!
Now you see what happens? You see?
Safety first.
Are you okay?
Do you think I'm gonna make it?
Try to watch where you're going next time.
Sorry. It's just that... my hat.
Well, my head is slightly smaller
than the average and...
Well,
I'll watch where I'm going next time.
Hey.
Hey, what about my horn?
I've never seen you swim so fast, Cody.
I'm not doing anything different.
I just feel good in the water.
Hey, nice race, you guys.
That's my dad. You want a ride, Sam?
Um... No, thanks.
I think I'll walk home with Cody.
You sure? It's a long walk.
Yeah.
I like to walk.
Yeah, sure. See you.
Hey, what happened? Did we miss anything?
Hey, are you guys an item now?
If you hurry, you can still catch Sean.
What, are you trying to get rid of me?
Hi, Sam. Hi, sweetheart.
We're sorry we're late.
Your mom made me wear this outfit.
So how'd you guys do?
Hey, fellas.
Well, if it ain't Big John Wheatley.
You been out fishing again
or looking for aliens?
Not aliens, Joe. Mermaids.
Mermaids? I'd like to catch a mermaid.
Maybe you'd give us
a little bit of that mermaid bait.
I don't have any mermaid bait, Joe.
Well, John,
how are we supposed to catch a mermaid
if we don't have any mermaid bait?
You'll never catch a mermaid, Joe.
Oh, now, why's that?
Maybe... because they don't exist?
One of these days, fellas.
One of these days,
we'll see who has the last laugh.
Hey, Johnny.
I know this guy doesn't believe
you saw that mermaid, but I do.
- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah. And if you find her,
could you bring her over to my place?
'Cause I'm playing poker with bigfoot
and the Easter Bunny... and Elvis.
That's really good.
Maybe I got something good today.
Hey, Dad! Can you help me
dry out my sousaphone again?
Not now, Jess. I'm busy.
Well, let's see
what we dredged up this time.
Garbage.
I can use that.
Morning, Cody. How's it look?
A little higher on the left. Perfect.
- Congratulations, Cody.
- Thanks.
- Way to go, Cody.
- Hey.
- Morning, Cody.
- Morning.
Nice race yesterday, man.
- Hi, Cody.
- Hi.
Good morning, Sam.
Hi.
You are so lucky
to be dating Cody Griffin.
He is pretty sweet, isn't he?
Who cares about sweet?
He's the most popular guy in school.
Which makes you the most popular girl.
Feels pretty good to be big man on campus, huh?
I'm telling you, man,
feels like I'm king of the world.
You know he died at the end of that movie,
don't you?
Starting Monday, we will begin studying
the creatures of the deep, marine biology.
Fishes and seals and plankton. Oh, my.
What was that, Mr. Griffin?
Oh, I was just saying how much
I'm looking forward to marine biology.
Not.
Now, the class will be divided into
groups of two for this particular section.
You and your lab partner will become
experts on the mysteries of the deep.
I have chosen your partners.
The list is posted at the back.
Check it out
and see who you're working with, okay?
Get out of here.
Have a nice weekend, class.
Come on. I'll grab my book, yeah?
Who's Jess Wheatley?
Hey, partner.
Thanks for saving my life yesterday.
Looks like your luck's changing, man.
Look. I know I'm probably not
your first choice for a lab partner.
You being you and me being me.
But if it makes you feel any better,
marine biology's kind of a hobby of mine,
which, when you think about it,
is kind of pathetic.
But, anyway, whales, seals, walrus,
jellyfish, hermit crabs--
I know all about that stuff.
So we'll be able
to breeze through the project,
and, uh, I'll get out of your hair.
Do you always drink this much?
So I'm thirsty. I've been thirsty lately.
Anyways, what are you saying, Josh?
- Jess.
- Whatever.
If you're not busy tomorrow,
maybe we can get together
and go over some project ideas.
- Tomorrow's kind of a big day for me.
- Oh. What are you doing?
It's my birthday.
You can come by if you want.
Wow.
Okay, everybody, it's time for cake.
- All right! Cake!
- Whoo! Look at that.
There we go. Ta-da.
Some for you.
What is it?
It's beet cake. Fat free.
There we go, Sam.
Don't you like it?
- Mmm.
- Oh, of course he does.
And we all love your dairy-free tofu.
I gotta paint that gutter over there.
Okay.
- Dad, I have to go get a drink.
- Okay.
Mmm. Mm. Mm.
Mmm.
- Did you think I forgot something?
- The thought crossed my mind.
Happy birthday, Cody.
It's great, Sam.
There's more.
But this one you don't have to open.
Whoa!
That was a little weird.
We could try again.
Maybe on your next birthday.
Hey. What's up?
- Oh, it's the birthday boy.
- Hey.
Hey, Cody!
What's the nerd doing here?
I told him he could come,
but I didn't actually think he'd show up.
Hey. Hey, Jess.
Hey, Jess,
you wanna go swimming with us later?
Sean, you know he can't swim.
So what? I've heard nerds can float.
Shut up. That's not cool.
Hi. Are you another friend of Cody's?
No. Not really.
Could you give this to him for me?
Oh, look at him, Whit.
Our little baby boy's all grown up.
Yeah. It seems like only yesterday
our little boy was out in the backyard
- making mud pies.
- Yeah.
You know, I think that was yesterday.
You guys are hilarious. Real funny.
Can you close the door on the way out?
Boy,
teenagers are always so doggone cranky.
- Man.
- Yeah.
I liked you better
when you were just a kid.
Sleep tight, birthday boy.
Starting now,
your whole life is different.
- I don't feel any different.
- Oh, are you kidding?
Now that you're a big bad teenager,
everything changes. Trust me.
Hey. Look at this. You forgot a present.
Thanks.
Happy birthday.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Jess?
Whoa!
Good morning, honey.
Breakfast is almost ready.
Okay.
Use a glass.
Am I the only sane one in this house?
Hey!
What,
are you trying to give me a heart attack?
That's great. Laugh at me.
Sorry, Jess.
What were you doing
with your head in a tide pool?
That's how social outcasts
spend their days.
They find a nice spot
and stick their heads in the ground.
Ask any nerd.
It makes the time fly by,
and it's good for the skin.
Come on, Jess, seriously.
What were you doing?
I was studying the life in the tide pools.
You may have noticed the other day
that I can't swim.
So this is as close to the stuff as I get.
Little snails and fish?
You think they're interesting?
Yeah. You don't?
They're just tide pools, right?
There's a million of them around here.
Yeah, but each one's different.
Come here and look.
A tide pool's sort of like
a little miniature world.
There's sand and there's kelp
and there's sea anemones.
You just have to look closely
to see everything.
There's the hunters, like the hermit crab,
and there's the hunted, like the plankton.
It's survival of the fittest in here,
you know?
And if you're not tough,
you get eaten alive.
Kind of like the real world, huh?
Yeah. Mrs. Nelson
was talking about this in biology.
A tide pool's sort of like an ecosystem.
An ecosystem. Exactly.
You know a lot about this stuff, huh?
Nerds don't really have friends.
We have hobbies.
Some pick Star Trek or Dungeons & Dragons.
But I picked this.
At least nerds have high marks.
I'm failing biology.
- Really? There's nothing to it.
- Yeah. Maybe for a brain like you.
I'll need a miracle to pass.
Or maybe all I need is you.
No way! I'm not doing your work for you.
Unless, of course, you plan to beat me up.
I'm not going to beat you up.
All I need is some tutoring.
I'll tell you what.
You help me with biology,
and I'll do whatever you want.
- Teach me to swim.
- You serious?
Teach me how to not drown,
and I'll take it from there.
Too easy. Deal.
- Whoa!
- Huh?
I've never seen anything like that before.
Well, I have.
But on frogs and lizards and stuff.
Cool.
What's going on?
What is this stuff?
Okay. This is perfectly normal.
No need to panic.
Is everything okay in there, sweetheart?
Everything's fine. I'm fine.
Why wouldn't I be fine?
Honey, are you sick?
No, Mom. I'm fine.
Cody,
dinner will be ready in five minutes.
- What are we having?
- Fish.
- Are you sure everything's okay?
- Couldn't be better.
Just washed my hands.
Can never be too clean, you know?
No, I guess not.
Five minutes.
- Hey, Cody. How're you doing?
- I'm okay.
How's, you know, everything?
All better. There must have been
something in the water.
Oh, really? 'Cause I looked up
your condition on the Internet,
and I found that lots of people have
scaly fingers and toes.
It's not that freaky.
You know we all look like frogs
in the womb?
Really, frogs? Wow.
With tails and everything.
Most of us lose them,
but some of us are born
with our tails still attached.
Can you imagine?
And you think your condition's weird.
Look, Jess, I don't have a condition.
It's gone. No tail, no scales on my hands.
- So do you mind keeping it down a bit?
- Sorry.
I'm just not used to talking to people
who have reputations to protect.
Come to think of it,
I'm not really used to talking to people, period.
Anyway,
you want to get together after school?
We could start the project and hang out.
Make some s'mores.
- S'mores?
- S'mores? Did I say s'mores?
Who eats s'mores? S'mores are for kids.
Scratch the s'mores.
It's okay. We'll work on the project.
My parents
are taking the boat out for a tour,
so I guess we'll work at your place.
My place?
Um... all right, but I have to warn you.
My dad's a bit, uh, eccentric.
Everybody's parents are weird, Jess.
Wow. This is where you live?
Here? No, no, no.
Our luxurious summer home's
being renovated,
and we're staying here till it's finished.
This is where I live.
Hey, Cody. Where are you going?
You can't go in there.
Wow. Look at all this great stuff.
This is cool.
Cody, we better get to work.
We're not supposed to be in here.
Where'd you get all this stuff?
It's... my dad's.
He's in the... salvage business.
Come on, Cody. We gotta go.
Who's your friend, Jess?
Oh, this is Cody Griffin.
He's a friend from school, Dad.
Oh, yeah.
Your parents run the boat tours,
don't they?
Yeah. That's right.
Tell me something, Cody.
Have your parents ever mentioned seeing
anything... strange in the harbor?
Here we go again.
How do you mean, strange?
Abnormal.
A creature that defies logic.
My dad did catch a cuttlefish
that looked like Regis.
But that was as strange as it gets.
Do you really believe in all this?
I mean, mermaids and stuff.
Do they really exist?
"Do they exist?"
I saw one, Cody.
I saw one with my own eyes.
Uh, come on, Cody. We'd better
get to work on our biology project.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Wheatley.
- Is he always like that?
- Like what?
Just tell me what to do.
I guess you can excavate
the surrounding topography
for indigenous hydrographic species.
You can dig for seashells.
I knew that.
Okay. And now,
what you've all been waiting for.
Please let me pass. Please let me pass.
- Cody.
- Here it comes.
Good work, Cody.
You might just make it out of here alive.
Wow. So this is what an "A" feels like?
I wouldn't get used to it.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Whatever.
Can I get a drink of water?
I swear,
something's seriously wrong with me.
Not according to this.
98.6, picture of health.
Mom, you don't get it. I don't feel sick.
I feel...
I'm always thirsty,
and I keep shocking people.
And I've been getting
this green, scaly rash.
Well, Code,
I don't see a green scaly rash.
I only get it sometimes.
Maybe...
I inherited some weird disease from,
you know, my other parents.
Cody,
I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
It's probably some bug going around.
Why don't we just make sure?
Let's have Dr. Schwartz come over
and take a look, okay?
What?
- You said the "D" word.
- I know.
No. No.
See, no doctor lays a hand on my baby.
- Come on, Sharon.
- Whit, you know how I feel about doctors.
"They're quacks with stethoscopes."
We know.
Cody,
whatever it is that's wrong with you,
I'm sure it's nothing
a little natural medicine won't heal.
Oh, no.
Do you have a math test today?
Hmm?
Acupuncture?
You mean,
like, your mom stuck pins in you?
Yeah.
She's not a big fan of modern medicine.
Apparently.
So do you feel any better?
I guess so.
Do you think you're contagious?
I... I mean, I don't think.
Good.
What is it? Is there something on my face?
No. It's nothing.
Her hair!
What?
Nothing. Nothing at all.
What?
Mom! Dad!
Cody?
I think I'm getting worse.
Call the doctor.
- Call the doctor.
- Doctor.
Hmm.
Breathe.
- Hmm.
-"Hmm?" What does "hmm" mean?
Hmm.
If he "hmm's" one more time,
I'm gonna clock him.
Okay.
Mr. and Mrs. Griffin, it says here
that you're Cody's adoptive parents.
- Is that right?
- Yeah.
Yeah, that's right.
Uh-huh.
Cody, I'd like to talk to you alone.
If you don't mind?
No. Not at all. Honey.
Honey, let's go.
Cody, I've made my diagnosis.
Puberty. Can you believe it?
Everybody else in the world
just gets hairier.
- But, no, not me.
- Help! Help!
Jess.
- Jess.
- Whoa!
You're in the shallow end.
Oh, yeah.
Man, I stink.
- You wanna talk about it?
- Huh?
Maybe I can help.
I haven't gone through puberty yet,
but I'm still a pretty brilliant guy.
Jess, I'm no doctor,
but does this look like puberty to you?
Let me get this straight.
You're generating electricity,
your hands are so sticky
you can climb walls like Spider-Man,
and your hands and feet sometimes
turn scaly when you get them wet?
Yeah, but just sometimes.
Does anyone else know about this?
I've been trying to tell my mom and dad,
but they, like,
live on a whole different planet.
Otherwise, it's just you.
I'm going nuts here, Jess.
You gotta help me.
What am I supposed to do?
You said yourself,
you're an expert with fish and stuff.
And this does look pretty fishy to me.
Maybe I can do some tests.
Yeah. That's it.
Do some tests. Take some samples.
I need some answers here, Jess,
before I start sprouting a tail
and start spawning upstream.
All right. We've got some work to do.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Well, talk to them.
You. Jump.
Whoa!
Use the force, Cody.
Come on, Jess. You've been
running these tests for a week.
Do you know what's wrong with me
or don't you?
Well, I have a theory,
but it's way too soon to tell.
All I can say is,
you should probably stay away from water.
I can't.
Whatever's happening to you
seems to get worse every time you get wet.
You don't get it, Jess.
I need to be in the water.
I can't explain it.
Every time I'm in the water,
I feel... right.
Besides,
I have a responsibility to the swim team.
Cody, you can't.
For all you know, all this weirdness
could clear up tomorrow, right?
Well, yeah, but...
The team's counting on me.
The state finals are coming up.
Until you know what my malfunction is,
I keep swimming.
You take a sudden interest in mermaids,
have you?
Uh, sorry, Dad.
I'll put everything back
the way I found it.
You know, um...
Jess, there's a...
There's a pretty good story
about this picture.
- Oh, really?
- Oh, yeah.
It was taken by a Swedish oceanographer,
Dr. Mats Nslund,
October 5, 1981.
See, he was convinced
that he'd actually seen a mermaid,
and that this picture would prove it.
So, what happened?
Well, it took all of a week
for the good doctor to lose
every ounce of credibility that he had.
Lost his job, his friends left him,
his family deserted him.
But, you know, to this day,
he will still tell anyone
who's willing to listen
that there are mermaids out there.
Do you believe him?
Are you kidding?
This guy's a fruitcake.
Total wacko.
Anybody can see that
this is a picture of a scuba diver.
So, if it's a picture of a scuba diver,
why do you keep it?
I don't know.
I guess it reminds me that
there's someone out there crazier than me.
You're not crazy, Dad.
Thank you, Jess.
Listen, you go ahead and feel free
to look through that stuff.
Just make sure you put it back
when you're done.
Oh, wait, Dad.
There's something in here
I don't quite get.
It says,
"Young merpeople can walk amongst humans.
Their biological makeup is such
that their aquatic physiology
only manifests itself
in the 13th year of life."
Well, see, that's one theory.
When a mermaid reaches her 13th year,
the fish half starts taking over
the human half.
What is this all about, Jess?
Nothing, nothing.
I was just, you know, looking around.
It's nothing. That's all.
Wait. Can I ask you something else?
I can't wait.
How long ago did you see your mermaid?
Thirteen.
Dad, I want you to tell me
everything you know about mermaids.
- What am I looking at?
- This is one of your scales.
This is a fish scale.
- They look the same.
- No kidding.
If I didn't know any different,
I'd swear they were exactly the same.
What does this mean? I'm a fish?
Well, not far off.
Look, I'm not a scientist,
and I may be taking
a shot in the dark here.
But after all the tests...
Well, you may want to sit down for this.
You may want a second opinion.
Jess.
I think you're a, uh...
a mermaid.
A what?
A mermaid. Or a merman, I guess.
A merman? You think I'm a merman?
There's no such thing!
I know it sounds crazy, but...
every time you get wet, you sprout scales.
How else would you explain that?
What about this? I don't remember Ariel
with this little ability.
Eels. They generate
the same electric current that you do.
- This is crazy.
- I know.
I've thought of every possibility,
but I just keep coming back to mermaids.
All right. Let's pretend
you're not absolutely nuts for a second.
Okeydokey.
Let's say that somehow I am a... a...
- A fish-boy?
- Merman.
People don't just become mermen.
It doesn't make sense.
A month ago I was completely normal.
That's a good point.
Maybe I swam by some toxic waste.
Or ate a mutant fish.
Sure. That's, uh, likely.
Have I ever told you I'm adopted?
No. But it seems like a funny time
to tell me. Why?
No. You don't get it.
I think they may hold
the key to this whole thing.
I still say he's a fish.
I need to find my birth parents.
I think they might know why
all this weird stuff is happening to me.
What's this all about, Cody?
Why is this so important all of a sudden?
I've been trying to tell you.
All these weird things that
have been happening to me--
Jess ran some tests,
and he has this theory,
and it sounds crazy.
But I've been swimming so fast,
and the dreams...
Dreams? W-What dreams?
I don't know.
I'm swimming, and I'm underwater,
and I don't have to hold my breath.
And there's this glowing...
Honey, I'm sure
it's just a stage you're going through.
Mom, this is not a stage!
- Cody, Dr. Schwartz said--
- The doctor was wrong!
Sometimes when I get wet, nothing happens.
But other times...
Oh, my.
Jess thinks I'm a merman.
And I'm starting to think he's right.
Oh, Cody.
- Merman?
- Yeah. And if I am a merman,
then maybe my birth parents,
just maybe, they're merpeople too.
So you were in the middle of the ocean,
and somebody just put me on your boat?
Yeah. It was so strange.
It was like someone left this
incredible little gift on our doorstep.
We went to the police,
but nobody reported a missing child.
We waited for months, expecting someone
to knock on our door and take you back,
but they never did.
So you became part of the family.
This is too weird.
So someone or something
just dumped me on your boat,
and now, 13 years later,
I'm turning into a fish,
and nobody can stop it?
Cody, you are not turning into a fish.
And you are certainly not turning
into a mermaid.
Merman.
Sweetie,
we're gonna figure this out, okay?
How? Every time I get in the water,
it gets worse.
Next time I take a bath, I'm probably
gonna sprout gills and a tail.
Cody, if it's water
that's triggering these changes,
you have got to stay out of it.
Your father's right.
You're gonna have to avoid the water
until we can figure out
a way to make you better.
What about swimming?
The state finals, the team?
Cody, this is serious.
Until we can figure out
what's causing these changes,
you have got to stay out of the water.
- But, Dad!
- No "But, Dad."
Sweetheart, we know this is hard for you.
You're scared, but
promise us you'll stay out of the water.
I'm one of you now.
I'm not having our son turn into
some sort of medical experiment.
What are we supposed to do, Sharon,
just stand by and watch
while he turns into dolphin boy?
- Oh, good one.
- We need help here.
Maybe there's a-a specialist we can call.
- A specialist?
- Yes.
In what, Whit? Mermen?
The minute anyone finds out about Cody,
they're just gonna ship him off
to some ultra-military medical facility.
No, no. I am not letting this happen.
That's not going to happen.
- No way. This is very, very bad karma.
- I know. I know.
This is a bad idea.
Who's there?
Okay. A little paranoid, Cody.
Hmm. Everything looks normal.
Maybe I'm getting better.
Yahoo!
Yeah! Whoo-hoo!
Hey, Cody!
- Huh? Oh, no.
- I'm happy I found you here.
What are you doing?
Oh, nothing much.
Just kinda sitting and looking.
- Can I sit and look too?
- No.
No?
I mean,
no way I'd not want you to sit and look.
No way.
This is fun.
- Why don't we go for a swim?
- No.
You know, you've been a real case lately,
Cody Griffin. What is with you?
I can't tell you.
You can't tell me?
You should be able to tell me anything.
Sorry, Sam. I just need some time alone.
Oh.
Okay. Fine.
I guess I'll see you at the meet tomorrow.
Bye.
The truth is, Sam,
I'm turning into a merman freak.
I don't get it.
Sometimes I change, and sometimes I don't.
Am I a merman or aren't I?
Well, you obviously have
some more important things on your mind.
So why don't we forget
about the swim lesson for now, okay?
Oh, no, you don't.
Come on, Jess. Jump.
I don't think so. I jump, I sink.
Every time I go in there, I sink.
I'm right here.
If you start to drown, I'll save you.
I'm a merman, remember?
- No way.
- You're hopeless.
Yeah, but at least
I'm not floating facedown in the pool.
Look, I have to go ask coach a few things.
Why don't you get some guts
while I'm gone?
Teaching the loser to swim, huh?
What do you have against Jess, Sean?
"What do you have against Jess, Sean?"
Listen to you, Cody.
What do I have against him?
The same thing you had against him
a few weeks ago.
He's not one of us.
One of us? What are we, exactly?
We are the team, Cody.
We are the guys everybody wants to be.
Not the type of guys
who have to wear water wings in the pool.
Get a grip, Sean.
Jess is my friend.
If you've got a problem with that,
deal with it.
See you at the meet tomorrow, Cody.
Don't worry. I'll be there.
Try to keep up.
The meet tomorrow? Are you nuts?
Think about what you're risking.
You don't think I know?
If I get into that water,
and I turn into fish-boy... I'm dead.
So why would you risk it?
Because.
I can't let this thing run my life, Jess.
I have to do this.
It's my only way of fighting back.
But listen to your parents.
I mean, if someone sees you,
it's way too dangerous.
You worry too much.
Look. I'll be swimming too fast
for anyone to see me, anyways.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the State Finals
Swimming Championship.
Well, this is it, team.
The state finals.
The Super Bowl of swimming!
You kids worked hard for this.
So no matter what happens today,
I want to say I'm proud
of each and every single one of you.
This, and I mean this,
is the hap...
...the happiest day
of my entire coaching life.
Let's get out there and win some races!
- Okay. Let's do it!
- Right.
Come on, guys, all the way.
Whoo! Hallelujah.
Yeah. Here we go. Get your heads together.
Let's go. Come on.
Get your heads together.
There we go.
Whoever touches the wall first wins.
Sam.
Please tell me you've seen Cody somewhere.
Do you have any idea where he could be?
I'm sorry, Coach. Cody doesn't
tell me much of anything these days.
All right, get your head together.
Lovely. All right, let's go.
Hey. Everything okay, champ?
You feeling all right?
I feel fine.
Even better than the last time
you checked on me, ten minutes ago.
Can you blame us
for being a little worried?
I guess not.
Hey, look, we know it's really hard
on you, missing the big meet today.
It's no big deal. Really.
You sure you're all right?
Mom, I'm fine.
I just feel like being alone for a while.
All right.
Mom and Dad can take a little hint.
Let's go.
Okay. If you need anything,
we'll be downstairs.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
The next race will be
the women's 50-meter butterfly.
All competing swimmers
should be at the starting line.
Cody! What are you doing here?
Don't try to stop me, Jess.
It's only a couple of races.
What's the worst thing that could happen?
Picture yourself floating in a tank
on the Jerry Springer Show.
Come on, Cody. Be smart about this.
It's just a dumb sport.
You swim up and down the lanes
as fast as you can,
and try to touch the wall
before the guy beside you.
You smell like chlorine all day,
and you wear swimsuits
that are way too small on you.
And you don't even have cheerleaders.
At least all the other dumb sports
have cheerleaders.
Are you trying to make a point here?
Yeah. Are you willing to screw up
your whole life for this team?
Okay, okay. I'll stop swimming.
Thank goodness.
Tomorrow.
Cody! Holy clams, son.
You're up. You're up.
Let's go. Let's go.
...men's 100-meter freestyle.
The favorites for this one
are fellow Mahone Bay Marlin teammates,
Sean Marshall and Cody Griffin.
Okay. Winners don't lose.
Just as fast as you can.
You're gonna look good in silver, Sean.
In your dreams, Cody.
Swimmers, take your marks.
A very fast start from all our swimmers,
especially from Cody Griffin
and Sean Marshall.
Both swimmers are already
pulling ahead of the pack.
And they're coming up to the first turn.
And both Marlins hit the wall,
an identical split time!
I don't believe it.
Look at them go. Unbelievable.
Griffin and Marshall...
...from the rest of the field.
These two swimmers are such
exciting competitors.
Holy smokes!
Are they're going too fast?
-They're setting a blistering pace.
- That's incredible time.
Can they keep it up?
- He's not here.
- Well, where is he?
I'll give you one guess.
It looks like
Cody Griffin is pulling ahead.
Somehow, I think he's picking up speed.
This is truly amazing.
Sean Marshall is a three full body lengths
behind his teammate.
Marshall and the rest of the competition
are getting left further
and further behind.
This is incredible.
Griffin is uncatchable!
- Wow! What a race!
- No.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Cody Griffin has just set
a new state record!
Unbelievable.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you have just witnessed swimming history.
What are you doing here, Dad?
Oh, your friend Cody is quite a swimmer.
Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen.
It's just a little electrical trouble.
Everything will be fine.
Cody!
Cody, come back here. What are you hiding?
I saw you, Griffin.
I know you're in here.
I saw whatever it is
that's making you swim so fast.
That gold medal should be mine!
I don't know what your story is, Cody,
but I'm gonna find out.
And when I do, you're done for!
Cody!
Is there something you'd like to tell us?
I won my race.
I don't get it.
It's never lasted this long before.
Cody,
are you sure that nobody saw you?
Positive.
I saw it! I saw what happened!
Pretty positive.
Hey, Jess, what's going on at the pool?
Are people talking?
How can I put this? Yes.
Cody just shattered a state record
and then disappeared.
I think Sean might have seen something.
Anyone else?
Mmm.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Sam, I can explain.
Sam.
Sam.
Are you okay?
Cody, I thought I just saw--
You did see.
Cody, what's happening to you?
It's a long story, Sam.
- I don't even know where to begin.
- He's a merman.
Well, you are.
Sam, honey,
you have to keep this a secret.
Yeah. If anyone found out
about Cody's condition,
he'd be in a lot of danger.
Are you people nuts?
You actually think that Cody's a mermaid?
Merman.
You expect me to believe this?
Why would I make this up?
I should go.
Sam, wait!
It's not as bad as it seems.
Not as bad as it seems?
Cody, you're... you're a fish!
Okay, so it's worse than it seems.
But I really need you now.
Look, Cody, I'm sorry.
I promise I won't tell anybody,
but this is too much.
Well, that went well.
Well, look who's here.
Sam, I've been trying to get ahold of you.
We really need to talk.
I know.
I've just been really busy and stuff.
So, Cody,
we haven't seen you at practice lately.
So I guess you haven't.
But who needs to practice
when you're as fast as Cody Griffin?
What's your problem, Sean?
I'm just curious.
I mean, you swam so fast at state.
How'd you do it, Cody? Steroids? Pills?
We'd all like to know.
I thought we were friends.
Tired of coming in second, huh?
Sean.
I guess cheating is
the only way you can beat me, loser.
- Cody, Sean, stop. Stop.
- Fight! Fight!
Break it up. Break it up.
Guys, knock it off.
If anyone's gonna get beaten up here,
it's gonna be me, okay?
If you guys start beating each other up,
what am I supposed to do between periods?
Just sit around and not get beat up?
How does that fit into my job description?
This is so pathetic.
You got Jess fighting your battles now?
Get out of my way, Jess.
Hey! Hey!
Here's a stupid question.
Is there a problem here?
Well?
I hate this!
I can't go in the water.
The team thinks I cheated.
I'm losing all my friends,
and Sam won't even look at me.
Could be worse.
I'm a freak of nature.
How could it get any worse?
Well, you could be a half slug
instead of a half fish.
No, seriously,
somebody could dash some salt on you,
and you'd dry right up.
Everybody's ditching me, Jess.
Why haven't you?
A few weeks ago,
I was treating you like a total jerk.
That's a good point. Why am I helping you?
'Cause you're a good guy. That's why.
I don't know how I'd get through this
without you.
Aw, shucks, Cody. I love you too.
- Help!
- Get off. Merman attack. Merman attack.
I knew you'd be back.
Oh, man.
Who'd have thought that?
I can't come to the phone right now,
but I promise to phone you back
if you leave a really great message.
Sam. Sam, it's me.
I really need to talk to you.
Something just happened.
Something I can't explain.
Meet me at the cove tomorrow.
Please, Sam, please.
It's important.
Morning, Dad.
What's that net for?
Well, mermaids, Jess. Mermaids.
Yeah, see, nobody ever believes me.
But this time...
This time I'm gonna have proof.
- Mrs. Griffin! Mrs. Griffin!
- Oh, hi, Jess.
Is Cody home?
He went down to the cove
a few minutes ago.
- Is everything okay?
- I just need to talk to him!
Don't be freaked, Sam.
I don't have fins. I'm all human.
Very funny, Cody.
Sam, this isn't something I expected.
Shaving, my voice changing...
Those I was ready for.
But this?
Why didn't you tell me, Cody?
Why'd you have to keep it a secret?
Sam, we're in junior high.
If somebody wears the wrong shorts,
people talk.
I'm not "people," Cody. I'm me.
Yes, I'm a lot weirded out,
but who wouldn't be?
Remind me to introduce you to Jess.
I miss you, Cody.
I'm sorry.
Don't be silly.
I'm the one who should be sorry.
I...
Come on. I want to show you something.
Take my hand. It's okay.
Does it hurt?
- You okay?
- Mm-hmm.
- Cody, what are you doing?
- Shh.
She's here.
- Cody, you mean...
- Yeah. She's my mom.
My other mom.
I think she's here to help me.
Oh, Cody, this is unbelievable.
Cody, what's wrong? What happened?
We have to get you home.
Go get my mom and dad. Hurry.
What's happening to me?
Sam?
Cody. Cody!
Cody.
Oh, no! Cody!
Hang in there, Cody.
We're almost in, buddy.
What's going on, Mr. Wheatley?
I don't feel so good.
I have to get in the water.
Don't worry, Cody.
Everything's gonna be fine.
This is seriously gross.
Yeah, well, this should help.
There she is.
Dad, what are you doing?
She's out there, Jess!
You get back here, and you stay with Cody.
Whoa!
Cody, look at you!
Help me get into the water, Jess.
I'm changing fast.
Come on. What's he doing?
There she is. Come on.
Just a little bit more.
No! It's a trap!
Get back under. Swim away.
- It's a trap.
- No!
Yes! Yes! I got her!
Jess. Jess, I got her!
We have to help her, Jess.
Yes! Everybody's gonna believe me now!
'Cause she's right in that net.
I got proof.
Jess, what are you doing?
Get away from there!
I can't believe I'm doing this.
Jess!
Hey, I'm not dead!
I can swim! I'm swimming!
Jess!
Come on, you piece of garbage.
I did it! I did it!
Mom?
No! No!
Dad, help!
Jess! Jess, hold on.
Oh, my God! Jess!
Jess. Where are you, Jess?
Jess! Jess!
- I got him!
- Good. Get him to the dock.
Cody!
- Whit, help Cody.
- I'm fine. It's Jess.
He's not breathing.
Come on, Jess. Don't quit on me.
Sam, you breathe for him when I tell you.
One, two, three, four, five. Breathe.
Jess. Jess. Come on, Son, wake up.
Come on, Jess!
Two, three, four, five. Breathe.
Come on. Come on.
Come on, Jess, breathe.
- Jess.
- He's still not breathing.
- Still no pulse.
- Everybody, stand back.
Stand back. I have an idea.
Okay, Jess, this won't hurt a bit.
- Oh.
- Cody.
- Come on, Jess.
- It's not working.
- Cody, try it again.
- Try it again.
- Jess.
- Jess, Son.
- Let's get him up.
- Are you okay?
- Oh!
- Sweetheart.
Thank goodness you're okay.
Was I dreaming, or was your girlfriend
just kissing me a second ago?
Jess.
I thought I lost you, Son.
Everything you said about the mermaids,
Dad, it was all true.
It doesn't matter.
The important thing is
that you're all right.
How'd this happen?
What's all this talk about a mermaid?
Whit. Look.
Cody, is she...
Yes. She's my mom.
My other mom.
She's beautiful.
She's just as I remember her 13 years ago.
What does she want?
She wants me to go with her.
She's the only one that can
help me with my changes.
No. No, you're my son.
I don't want to lose you.
I am your son, Mom.
But I'm more than that. Look at me.
She loves you, Cody.
And, right now, you have to go with her.
But it won't be forever.
She promises to have you back
before school starts.
I love you, Mom.
I love you too.
I'm gonna miss you, Cody.
Promise me you won't fall
for any mergirls while you're gone.
I promise.
Don't forget anything you see
while you're down there.
We want to know everything. Every detail.
- That's right, Cody.
- You got it.
Thanks, Jess.
Don't be gone long, Son.
We love you, Cody.
Be safe.
I'll be back in no time.
I finally get a friend,
and he turns into a fish.
This is so typical.
Jess.
Bye.
Feeling kind of lucky
This girl really likes me
Never thought that love would
Tip my heart
At the beach together
Nothing seems to matter
Till she sees a flounder
Can't tell us apart
Never could imagine
That I'd grow a tail
And that I'd be a-swimming like
A big blue whale
What is going on here
My parents never told me
That I'd be a-changing
In my thirteenth year
I'm a little worried
My palms are kinda clammy
'Cause sitting at a sushi bar's
My greatest fear
-It's so weird in my thirteenth year
- Thirteenth year